Last Updated 7th October 2024. Welcome to our guide, which is designed to answer the question, ‘How long does compensation take to come through?’
If you’ve suffered a physical or psychological injury and are in line to receive compensation, you may have many questions, such as:
- How long does compensation take to arrive in personal injury cases or other types of claims?
- How long does it take to receive compensation after accepting an offer?
- If my case is quite complex, how long does it take to get compensation as opposed to a more straightforward claim?
Not only does our guide cover these topics, but you can get in touch with our advisors for further free advice. You can also learn about the terms offered by our expert No Win No Fee solicitors.
Contacting us is simple and free, plus we’re available 24/7. Just choose one of these routes to begin:
- Call 0800 073 8804.
- Chat with us through the live support feature at the bottom of this page.
- Send your enquiry using this online form.
Select A Section
- A Guide On How Long Compensation Takes To Come Through
- Personal Injury Claim Statistics
- What Is A Compensation Claim?
- Types Of Compensation Settlement
- How Long Does Criminal Injury Compensation Take To Come Through?
- Does It Take Long For Holiday Accident Claims Compensation To Come Through?
- How Long Does Whiplash Compensation Take To Come Through?
- What Is The Time Limit For Starting My Claim?
- Interim Payments
- What Factors Could Affect How Long Compensation Takes To Come Through?
- Personal Injury Compensation Claims Calculator
- What Are Special Damages?
- No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
- Begin Your Claim
- Related Claims
- Compensation Claim FAQs
A Guide On How Long Compensation Takes To Come Through
We understand that when you’re injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may want to seek compensation to help you deal with the aftermath. However, it’s not always a simple process so it can be helpful to have as much information to help ensure the process goes smoothly.
For that reason, we have created this guide to help you understand all stages of the claims process and what to expect when seeking compensation.
In this article, we will look at the different types of settlement you could receive. We’ll also look at how different factors could impact your compensation payment. Additionally, we’ll provide information on what your compensation package could include and how it’s calculated.
Furthermore, if you’re still yet to make your claim, this guide will be useful in providing you with further information on the steps you could take. For instance, the evidence you may need to obtain and your options regarding legal representation.
Despite the information we’ve covered in our guide, we understand if you still have questions. Don’t forget, our team is available 24/7 to help. Call us on the number at the top of the page for more help and advice.
Personal Injury Claim Statistics
The Compensation Recovery Unit (CRU) records a number of different compensation cases from clinical negligence to road accident claims. The graph below shows a comparison between the number of cases registered between 2022/23 and 2023/24.
As you can see, the number of cases registered dropped between 2022/23 and 2023/24. However, the number of settlements recorded rose from 542,457 to 548,843.
Additionally, the amount recovered rose to £140,561,081.82 in 2023/24. Not only is this an increase of over £14,000,000 on the 2022/23 total, but it is the highest amount recorded by the CRU in any year since 2010.
What Is A Compensation Claim?
If you are injured or become ill because those who had a responsibility to protect your welfare and safety failed to do so through negligence you could have the option to make a personal injury claim. This compensation claim if successful could award you with money for your suffering along with any financial losses you have suffered.
In order for the claim you hold to be valid though, you need to be able to prove that negligence occurred. Generally, negligence is a result of someone breaching the duty of care they owed to you which causes an accident that results in a negative impact on your health.
There are various ways this could happen, such as:
- The owner of a shop failing to keep wires tidy in areas accessible to members of the public and staff, resulting in a customer tripping over a loose wire and suffering a minor head injury.
- A worker in a factory sustaining a severe arm fracture after being crushed in a machine due to the employer failing to carry out risk assessments to check the safety of the machines.
- A surgeon leaving a foreign object in a patient resulting in them suffering further harm in the form of an infection.
- Someone getting a cosmetic surgical procedure such as liposuction and suffering an avoidable allergic reaction to the latex gloves due to the surgeon failing to check the patient’s history.
If you’ve experienced something similar, you could have grounds to seek compensation for your suffering. For further help and advice, get in touch with our team.
Types Of Compensation Settlement
An out-of-court settlement is a claim that’s settled between the two parties without having to go to court. This might be due to the defendant admitting liability or the claimant accepting an offer they’re happy with.
Part 36.14 of the Civil Procedure Rules states that compensation should be paid 14 days from when the offer is accepted. However, this mainly applies to out-of-court settlements.
For a case that’s settled in court, generally, the compensation should be paid within 14 days from the court hearing unless another date has been agreed on by both parties.
However, it could vary further depending on the type of claim you’re making. For more information on compensation settlements, get in touch with our team of expert advisors.
They can provide further clarification on anything you’re unsure of regarding the question: how long does compensation take to come through?
How Long Does Criminal Injury Compensation Take To Come Through?
There are several ways you could make a criminal injury claim. Therefore, the way you claim will have a bearing on how long the claims process could take.
If the defendant has been found guilty in the court of law, you could make the claim directly against them. However, there may be cases where your claim is successful and they don’t have the means to pay compensation.
Alternatively, you can go through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This allows you to make your claim in circumstances where the defendant is unidentified, or if they don’t have the means to pay compensation.
Does It Take Long For Holiday Accident Claims Compensation To Come Through?
Holiday accident claims can be complex depending on the nature of the claim. For instance, if the claim is against a UK company or non-UK company.
If you bought a package holiday with a UK company and you sustained an injury when partaking in an activity organised by the company. In these cases, you could make your claim directly against the UK company.
However, if you suffered an injury after slipping on a shop floor in a different country, it may be a more complex process as you’re claiming against a non-UK company.
Another example of this includes road traffic accident claims against a foreign lorry driver where the green card system will be considered. A green card proves you have the minimum insurance to cover you driving in a different country. For instance, a UK citizen driving in the EU or a foreign driver in the UK.
For that reason, the type and complexity of the claim can have an effect on how long the claim may take to settle.
How Long Does Whiplash Compensation Take To Come Through?
The Whiplash Reform brought in changes to people making claims for whiplash injuries. For drivers and passengers, this means that the claims process you go through can depend on the severity of your injuries.
The reform changes mean that claims for any injuries valued at less than £5,000 need to be made through the government’s online claims portal. If the injuries are valued at more than £5,000 then you can make a claim the traditional way.
This can have a bearing on how long your claim takes to settle. However, no matter whether you go through the claims portal or not, you can still seek legal representation.
If you have suffered a whiplash injury in a road traffic accident, we recommend seeking legal advice first to ensure you have an accurate estimate of your claim value. Our team can offer a free valuation of your claim to help you understand the options you have.
For more information on whiplash claims, you can get in touch with a member of our team using the number at the top of the page.
What Is The Time Limit For Starting My Claim?
The general time limit for personal injury claims is three years. This might be from the date you were in the accident or the date you acquired enough knowledge that another person’s failings contributed to your injury.
However, there are different circumstances in which the three-year time limit may vary. For instance:
- Claims for anyone under the age of 18
- Claims for anyone who lacks the mental capacity to claim for themselves
In the instance where someone is under the age of 18, there are a couple of things that could happen. Firstly, the three years won’t start until their 18th birthday. From this point, they will have three years to put forward the claim on their own behalf.
Alternatively, before they turn 18, a parent, solicitor or guardian could submit the claim on their behalf. They could do this by applying to act as a litigation friend.
A parent, solicitor or guardian could also submit a claim on behalf of someone who lacks the mental capacity to claim for themselves, by applying to act as a litigation friend.
Additionally, the three years will be paused until they recover their mental capacity. When they do recover their capacity, the three years will start from the date of their recovery. If they don’t, the three years will be suspended indefinitely.
The time limits can seem complex, so if you have any questions, please get in touch with our team on the number above for more information.
Interim Payments
An interim payment allows you to apply for part of your compensation early. However, they are only payable in the event that the result looks to go the claimant’s way.
This means that it will be confirmed that they will be receiving compensation. In order to determine how much you could receive you could do this by using the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) and other evidence to provide an estimate.
It happens more often in cases of serious injuries. For instance, if someone suffered a severe back injury after falling over equipment left out on the stairs at work. They could apply for an interim payment to cover care costs or home adjustments that may be needed before the claim settles.
For more information, call our team on the number above.
What Factors Could Affect How Long Compensation Takes To Come Through?
As each accident and injury is so different, there are many factors that can affect the settlement time of each claim. The following factors could impact your claim and how long compensation takes to process:
- Accident type e.g. road, public place or work accident or incident of medical negligence
- The evidence needed to support your claim
- Whether the defendant admits liability
- The complexity of the case e.g. claims against a non-UK company or criminal injury claims
Additionally, the injuries you’ve sustained could impact your claim. For instance, if you have multiple injuries or severe injuries you may need to have several medical reports completed. This could affect how long it takes for your injuries to be valued accurately so the full impact will be known.
Personal Injury Compensation Claims Calculator
When making a personal injury claim for compensation, if successful you may receive a compensation package that consists of general damages and special damages. However, not every case will have special damages.
General damages allow you to claim compensation for the physical and emotional suffering you’ve endured as a result of your injury. The impact your injury has had on your quality of life will also be considered. For instance, if the injury has caused long-term issues such as a permanent disability.
Due to the specific nature of each case, it can be difficult to give an accurate estimate of what your claim is worth. Each case may be valued using the medical evidence which provides details of your injury alongside the JCG. This is a document often used to help value claims.
Although it can be difficult to accurately estimate the value of your claim, we have created an injury table below. It includes details of different injuries you could have sustained in an accident as well as example figures of what each injury may be valued at.
| Harm suffered | Classification | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Serious Injuries And Out Of Pocket Expenses | Severe | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Leg Amputations | Amputation of both legs | £293,850 to £344,150 |
| Less Serious Leg | Simple femur fracture | £11,120 to £17,180 |
| Head | Moderately Severe | £267,340 to £344,150 |
| Pelvis and Hip | Extensive Pelvic Fracture | £95,680 to £159,770 |
| Back | Severe (ii) | £90,510 to £107,910 |
| Arm | Injuries Resulting in Permanent and Substantial Disablement | £47,810 to £73,050 |
| Finger | Severe Fractures to Fingers | Up to £44,840 |
| Psychiatric damage | Moderate | £7,150 to £23,270 |
It’s important to note that you should use the figures only as a guide as your compensation settlement will vary. If you have any questions on how compensation may be calculated, speak to our team on the number above. Alternatively, see below for more information on the special damages you could claim. Please also note that the figure in the top row is not from the JCG.
What Are Special Damages?
The special damages you could claim in compensation allow you to recover any monetary losses you’ve suffered as a result of the injury. For instance, if you’ve been left unable to work, you could claim for any loss of earnings.
If your injury means you won’t be able to work for the foreseeable future, you could claim for future loss of earnings too. This might also include an attendance bonus you’ve lost or pension contributions that you would have otherwise had.
The are other costs you could claim back might include:
- Care costs for yourself or anyone dependent on you
- Travel expenses such as taxis to and from the hospital
- Medical expenses such as physical aids like walking sticks or crutches
However, you will require evidence to prove these losses. For instance, receipts for care costs or payslips to show any lost earnings.
No Win No Fee Personal Injury Claims
If you’re still in the process of deciding whether you want to pursue your claim with or without legal representation, we have an option you may like to consider.
The option involves having a solicitor represent your case on a No Win No Fee basis. This type of agreement can provide you with the opportunity to avoid upfront costs and any additional costs that incur during the course of your claim.
In the event that your claim fails, you won’t be required to pay solicitor fees. If your claim succeeds, you will be required to pay a small success fee. This is a legally capped percentage that will be deducted from your compensation. However, you will be made aware of the fee by your solicitor before starting your claim.
We understand that you may have looked at submitting your claim without a solicitor, however, it can be beneficial to have legal help and advice. If this is something you’d like to explore in more detail, you can speak to one of our advisors by calling on the number above.
Begin Your Claim
Whether you’re ready to start your claim or you just require further information, our team are available 24/7 to help. They can either answer your questions or assess your claim. If they find that the claim you hold is valid, they can appoint one of our solicitors to your case.
All of our solicitors operate on a No Win No Fee basis and are experienced in handling claims similar to yours. They can help support you throughout each stage of your claim. If you’d like to read our reviews first, this can help give you an idea of our other customers experiences.
So, if you’re ready to get the compensation you deserve, get in touch with our team on the following details:
- Telephone number – 0800 073 8804
- Chat with an advisor at any time using the live chat feature at the bottom of this page
- Send our team your enquiry using the form
Related Claims
If you had an accident at work caused by an employers negligence, you could claim compensation. See our guide for more information.
Visit our guide for more information on personal injury compensation.
See the government guide on claiming compensation if you were the victim of a violent crime.
If you were in a road traffic accident with an uninsured driver, see the Motors Insurers’ Bureau for more information.
Thank you for reading our guide exploring the question: how long does compensation take to come through? We hope you found the information you need.
